Ep. 218 Monty Waldin interviews Armando Castegnedi (Tenuta Sant'Antonio)

Italian wine podcast. Chinching with Italian wine people. This podcast is brought to you by Native Grape Odyssey. Native Grape Odyssey is an educational project financed by the European Union to promote European wine in Canada, Japan, and Russia. Enjoy. It's from Europe. Hello. This is the Italian wine podcast with me, Montewood. My guest today is Armando Castagnieri, and I'll Amando's family estate is tenuto Santanteo, and you are in the Veneto region of, you know, East Italy welcome, Amanda. Welcome, umoni. Thank you very much for this opportunity. So which what are the main wines that your estate produces. We are a producer from, Verona. We are in, Elazivale, in the East area where we finish the Swave area and start the Balicelli area. So you have both Swave and Vail Pollice Exactly. Exactly. We my fatherproduce a grape is always for a long time. He saw the grapes as a wine comparative. I and the other free brothers. We started in nineteen ninety five. We decided to to produce a wine. And he used boss because you're the eldest. Exactly. Yeah. All the responsibility. Unica probably, we are the old I'm the oldest. So if it goes right, all the brothers say, hey, we did it together. If it goes wrong, oh, Armando, y. Yeah. In a mistake. No. Three, we have a really nice, relationship with the respect, everyone, or different roles inside the the the winery. So let's go through the wines. Let's should we start with the Swave white? Yes. Yes. If you make, like, crew Swave or just plenty of coffee? Exactly. We have, one, group of single vineyards because crew, it is a French war. No. Montecheriani, it is a small, production. It is about six sectors, where in the food tour, when our already delimited some, specific area, we can say, this is, the Montecheriani vineyards. What's special about the terroir that the soil type? If the right is volcanic, the wine, the the variety must important. It is a garganaga. We can use also some small quantity of a treviano di soave, but the garganaga is most important. The expression of the wine is really mineral because the it is a volcanic. So is it is it dark soil? Is it yellowy soil? Dark. Dark. Dark. Dark. Dark. Dark. Okay. And is that and what is the altitude again? Sorry. We are about to turn the meters above the sea level. The direction of the vineyard is itself, West. And, we have some vineyards, traditional parrot verones, and some vineyards, or century in Guillaume. What's the difference in terms of the cost of man managing a pergola vineyard, which is like an overhead vineyard, and, what in Italian, they call it, which is just like a classic sort of border style training system. Honestly, twenty years ago, when we started to produce a wine, in my day, we were convinced, you know, Guio, it was better. But in a our variety and local variety, like, Gargania, in Pargola, Veronese, at the end, is not so expensive. And, the production probably sometime is better. Especially in the last few years ago where the climate is changing. So because you've got this overhead shade, haven't you? You've got, because it's a pergola. Exactly. You're having the leaves. Per wood, there is the the leaf, create the, a protection done the sun during the, our must, hot temperature. During the hottest period. Exactly. Exactly. Let's move on to an Amaroni. Yes. We have, two different plates. One is, then Yannie. One is a Montei Garby. It is not so far than, this place, the the other area, but the so it is a completely different. Montei Garby. Montei Garby. Montei, it is a means, Montei, Montei. It is an expression typical dialectal language of the nation. It means sour airy. Poor. The soil is so airy. The soil limestone choke, completely white. For we are in the top of the hill, about a three hundred meters above sea level, and the four two hundred fifty meter go down in is always so. It was, in the medium years ago, it was an ocean, then our sediment, you know? Where we are in the city? Exactly. In this case, we produce a, then, our I think this case is a free mandatory variety. It is a Corvina veronese, Corvina, and the rondinela. We can use also another small quantity over other variety from Verona local variety. And we rediscovery Ozzarella and the chorotina to, historic quality grapes, not used in the past because, they produce a low quantity for plants, but, improve the color and the turning. Many produce many or consumer made a question on why not a morinata? Because morinata was one of the variety in the past. They used the mandatory. Molinata is a nice variety, but it is a generous, produce a lot, and it is always a little pink, not so black. Then, if you want to to produce a wine with a nice color, probably, continues the data for us is better, then this is our choice. Do you think as consumers, consumer trends change may be slightly moving away from these very darkly colored wines that we've had maybe for, say, the last twenty years trying to copy the bordeaux model. Do you think Monanara has a future, though, in in valpolicella? But I think, it is always an opportunity. Depending the producer, what's, you wanted to do, wanted wanted to, to create it. Today, I think the market is so open. Then, it's possible to think everywhere. Then, why not, in my idea, Bolinara could be interesting for, lighter wine. A dimininara or Jose. Mhmm. Because, in the past, my father told me Bolinara give you the wine, sorting, sorting, you know? Every every variety give the wine some characteristic. It's on its own character. It's fair. Twenty years ago, fifteen years ago, the market love wine, a leader Richard, a leader with a car in more intensive, you know? But today, there are there is, I think, some, new sensation. No. The people, many younger produce, consumer wanted to drink wine lighter, fresher, also without, not dark color, you know, then it could be another opportunity. Okay. Let's have some food matches. What is your favorite dish with a swabie? So a it is a fantastic wine for me because I it is possible to do to to drink with a different, food. I think, okay, fish. It is too easy, but, order, like, for me, carpache, alright, is, result. As actually as actually. It is a wine where it's possible to drink one glass more because it's not too aromatic. Now it is a mineral. Then, sometime, I had the opportunity to drink with some Chefis. Yes. It is a wine for me for to drink with a many, many occasion. And the and no no. It is nice, a nice question because, personally, it is a fantastic host from salumi, because it depends on the the styles of our proprietary. In our case, recently, we changed it completely our proprietary. We wanted it to come back at the original of a Vipulicella, lighter twelve point five alcohol, a little spicy with the the expression of the pepper, then where it's possible to drink, yes, with the the the the roast beef, pasta for me is not so okay. It is too easy, but, rice, you know, also in the summer. So do you think valpolicella is rediscovering its, mojo? It's original. Yeah. The original star was this, and everyday, easy to drink. Exactly. Wine. And then it got a bit kind of, I have to choose my words very carefully here. Could I Although, I started to produce a wine. I remember twenty years ago, we we love the the wine football, you know, reach. Honestly, I know if, today I'm a older, then I prefer a pinot noir style similar wine, you know, then we study in our winery for two, three years. How we possible to create a wine similar because, it is for me, a wine, the people don't know realty, but, when we are in the area, if the youngest wine is not popular, for me, is not so important. It's true. Amaroni is Amaroni is clear. But, when you go in the restaurant, many time, I I love to drink a glass of wine fresh, easy drinking without, but not a classic, a little sweeter lighter wine you know, but with the personality wine. But savory, you mean? Exactly. Yeah. So, like, like, sort of, like, almost like a picnic wine. Yeah. Exactly. Okay. For Amaroni? Amaroni, this, nice question, or it is, it's clear. Our wine must important, I love the world. The people love this wine because it is a pretty around the fruity. It's important. I think, remember how's the evolution we had in twenty years in this, in this is. We are a younger producer because we have only twenty years of history. In the past, we didn't produce a wine. When we decided what the the the the style you wanted to produce, it was not easy. But, in many years, we made some experience. At the end of today, many producer love a style of a a full body, a leader around the suite, you know, with an expression of the foodie, a leader, Jamie. Is that your style? No. We prefer to go in another way where the balance first, it is our research, then create a balance from Resideo Sugar, not too sweet, not too alcoholic. A fifteen degrees of alcohol, not sixteen, seventeen. But the Elazi Valley where you are is known to be a little bit cooler, isn't it? Is that correct? The Elazi Valley Elazi Valley. Where you are is known to be a little bit cooler. Yes. So you have that advantage. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Then, And food matches? Yes. The food when I say we'd like to create a style more balanced, it is because in our idea, it was, create a wine for to drink with the food because many times, when the wine is a little too sweet, the food that it is only cheese, honestly, or to drink alone after dinner or Yes. We don't but only with cheese. I'm just yeah. I understand. When you create your wine, more balanced, or more acidity, with an especially on the fruitie fresh, not the jamie, it's possible to use the wine with the meat, with a beef, all simple steak. It's not important to have a particular dish, so elaborate, you know, sometimes people say it's difficult to use a marrone in factory, with the food because, Exactly. Then in this case, I think it's possible to create an interesting, connection from amarone, more dry, and, and, and, and the food. And finally, you make it is, the wine for the people love this specific style of wine. I love, in our case, we don't produce every year, but only in the best years than every three or four years. Is it is it all gardena or not? No. No. Ricoto of a vegetable chair in our case. Okay. Sorry. Then, the blend is similar of a maroona, but, the one month. The ride one month more, four months, and is that the three months? And Do you want achiote de Amaroni? Is that on the drier side or on the sweeter side? It enter winter steady white. Enter sweet finish dry. This is a really nice, a a ricciotto because, when it's too sweet, for me, it's not interesting. But it's better when you tested the wine, the sensation, it is sweet. But at the end, the it is tonic. Then, there is a fantastic, connection with the also food. First, I also chocolate, you know, dark chocolate is a fantastic or dried, dried sweet, fruit? Fruit. Exactly. So what? So, what? So, draw up with a passo or not? Or, I don't know. Vopassa? No. I didn't be. Usually. Like, what dried apricots? Or Yes. Yes. Could be. Could be the thing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So dried prunes. Yeah. So dried prunes. Exactly. So you have that with your lechioso developed sugar. Yeah. Is that what you eat there? Is that what you do as usual? Sure. Yeah. And any other any other dried fruit with that? Your brothers think you're a bit crazy sometimes. Yes. Yeah. Because you look like you like I mean, you you love your food as much as you love your wine. Is that that's right? Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Are you the better are you the best chef of the of the brothers? No. Don't be bashful. Don't love it. I like to eat about it. Not to cook. Not to cook. Okay. So you can spend more over the table. Yeah. Exactly. Oh, you're a tactician. Yeah. I always knew you in in the in the tellies, like, if football is, intelligent. Yeah. Yeah. It's different. It's strategic. Is that? Yeah. Yeah. You get to the table. First, everyone else does all the work. No. I sort of. Okay. I wanna say thanks to my guest today. Armando Castenieri. Armando said he didn't speak English. You know, as you can see that he does his amount of money talents, and he has great personality as well. And, the Elazi values are often overlooked, I think, in, in your region. And, if you go there, you should go to the Elazi Valley and not ignore and go and see Armando. Very nice to have you on the show. Thanks for coming in. Thank you. Take your opportunity. Thank you. Yeah. You're only gonna get one. We're not gonna have you back. Okay. Thank you very much. This podcast has been brought to you by Native grape Odyssey, discovering the true essence of high quality wine from Europe. Find out more on native grape Odyssey dot e u. Enjoy. It's from Europe. Follow Italian wine podcast on Facebook and Instagram.